Trudeau meets Pope before pontiff’s speech on promises, perils of AI – MASHAHER

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is participating in the second day of the G7 leaders’ summit, which will feature a special appearance by Pope Francis.

The pontiff is slated to deliver an address to leaders about the promises and perils of artificial intelligence.

He is also expected to renew his appeal for a peaceful end to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.

Trudeau met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Friday morning before meeting with the Pope. He is scheduled to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida later in the day.

Trudeau was in a working session on migration in the morning while leaders will hold a working luncheon on the Indo-Pacific and economic security.

Migration is a priority for summit host Italy and its right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who’s seeking to increase investment and funding for African nations as a means of reducing migratory pressure on Europe.

Leaders of the G7 countries announced on Thursday that they will deliver a $50 billion US loan to Ukraine using interest earned on profits from Russia’s frozen central bank assets as collateral. Canada, for its part, has promised to pitch in $5 billion toward the loan.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Defence Minister Bill Blair said the Canadian government is donating 900 drones built in Canada to strengthen Ukraine’s defence capabilities.

Blair, who is meeting with members of NATO in the Belgian capital of Brussels, also said that in close co-ordination with allies, a Canadian-led battlegroup in Latvia is being scaled up to brigade size.

Blair’s latest announcement on Friday comes as NATO member nations continue to work to meet the group’s agreed-upon target of spending two per cent of GDP on their respective militaries.

According to NATO data, Canada was estimated to be spending 1.33 per cent of its GDP on its military budget.